Volunteer

Volunteering Opportunities

Over 80 departments utilize volunteer services. The list below represents the departments that make use of the largest number of volunteers. It is not necessarily an indication of volunteer position availability.

Direct Patient Contact

Child Life Department: Inpatient Playroom

Minimum Age: 18

Volunteers interact with patients, siblings, and families in the playroom and at the bedside, to provide opportunities for developmentally appropriate play and socialization, to minimize the impact of hospitalization. Mature, enthusiastic, caring, and reliable volunteers need to demonstrate initiative, independence, and problem solving skills. Volunteers must be able to interact and engage with children of all ages and help maintain toys and play supplies for all areas.

Child Life Department: Sibling and Outpatient Playroom

Minimum Age: 18

Volunteers assist in supporting the Ambulatory Care Clinics. Mature, enthusiastic, caring, and reliable volunteers are needed to provide fun, purposeful activities for siblings and patients during clinic appointment (s). Volunteers help maintain toys and play supplies in the playroom; checking for safety, and cleaning on a regular basis.

Shifts

Weekdays only9 a.m.-12 p.m, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.

Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy

Minimum Age: 18

Volunteers help transport patients to and from therapy appointments and keep patients company between therapy sessions. Volunteers also assist therapists and other staff as needed and help to maintain clean and organized therapy areas within the department. Other tasks include filing, delivering mail and cleaning toys.

Volunteers who are pursuing a career in either physical or occupational therapy may apply for the Student Volunteer Bonus Program after meeting the required amount of service hours (approximately 10 consecutive shifts) in the department. Volunteers in the Student Volunteer Bonus Program shadow a therapist for one session (one to three hours) per week, outside of their already agreed volunteer shift, for a total of six sessions. The OT/PT department processes Student Volunteer Bonus Program requests based on hospital census and therapist availability. Thus, there are times where we may not be able to accommodate all requests.

We are currently not accepting any volunteer applications for the OT/PT volunteer position.

Therapy Pool

Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Unit Swim Sessions

Volunteers interact with patients in the Therapy Pool during recreational swimming sessions. Mature, enthusiastic and reliable volunteers are needed to provide fun, safe water activities for school-age and adolescent patients.

Shifts

Monday and Wednesday2-3 p.m.Minimum Age: 21

Tuesday and Thursday12:45-1:45 p.m.Minimum Age: 21

Friday (all-age group)9:45-10:45 a.m.Minimum Age: 21

Saturday (all-age group)3:15-4:15 p.m.Minimum Age: 21

Patient and Family Recreational Swim

Minimum Age: 18

Volunteers will join children and families in the pool during recreational swim times. Energetic volunteers will provide fun and safe water activities that may include leading games for groups, or working with individual children to help them get used to the pool. Volunteers will also help with cleaning and maintenance of pool equipment.

Shifts

Monday-Friday4-5 p.m.

Saturday2-3 p.m.

Swim Lessons

Minimum Age: 18

Reliable volunteers are needed to assist swimming instructors providing lessons for children from the community. Volunteers will work with children ages 3 to 6 as they develop swimming and water safety skills.

Shifts

Monday and Wednesday5:15-6:45 p.m.

Tuesday and Thursday6:15-7:45 p.m.

Limited or Non-Patient Contact

Central Services: Inventory and distribution

Minimum Age: 16

Deliver supplies and equipment vital to patient care, restock incoming product, perform inventory counts, assemble materials like personal belonging bags, baby tourniquets, and stethoscopes. All of these tasks are imperative to day-to-day operations at the hospital.

Shifts

Shifts are available seven days a week around the clock.

Clerical and office support

Minimum Age: 16

Assist the staff with clerical and office duties in clinical and administrative departments. Opportunities are open to volunteers who would like to gain office experience and learn new skills in a hospital environment. Duties may include filing and collating, answering phones, using office machines and word processing.

Shifts

Shifts vary by department: weekdays, some evenings, limited weekends and not available on Sundays.

Family Resource Center

Minimum Age: 18

The Family Resource Center provides families with health and local area information, basic needs, and stress-relieving services during their stay. The FRC also manages patient and family education and communications for the hospital. We are looking for enthusiastic, caring volunteers to greet families, answer questions, assist with family support programs, and help staff with various projects.

Shifts

Shifts are available seven days a week between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Patient and Family Relations

Minimum Age: 16

Volunteers assist entrance coordinators in welcoming families and visitors, by providing directions, securing wheelchairs, and guiding families to where they need to go. Volunteers also help stock supplies for the entrances and make deliveries to patient rooms.

Shifts

Weekday and weekend shifts available.

Surgery Center

Minimum Age: 18

Assist the Surgery Center coordinator with labeling of patient packets and hand-writing patient labels for charts. May be asked to direct families and/or escort them to various areas. Lots of interaction with patients and families awaiting surgery.

Shifts

Weekdays only between 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Messengers

Minimum Age: 16

A great way to learn your way around the hospital; delivering flowers, gifts and meal trays to patient areas, collecting and distributing wheelchairs and dozens of other in-hospital errands. Messengers also assist with various projects in the volunteer office such as bulk mailings and other fun stuff!

Shifts

Weekdays, evenings and Saturday shifts. No Sunday shifts.

Gift Shop

Minimum Age: 16

A perfect job for persons with retail or cash handling background, those interested in a business/retail career or those who love to shop! We interact with patients and families in the hospital's unique and fun gift shop on a daily basis and count on our volunteers for support in our effort to raise funds for uncompensated care.

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About This Site

Seattle Children’s provides healthcare without regard to race, color, religion (creed), sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin (ancestry) or disability. Financial assistance for medically necessary services is based on family income and hospital resources and is provided to children under age 21 whose primary residence is in Washington, Alaska, Montana or Idaho.